Welcome Back! In this chapter, Yoshimura Eto finds out the meaning of Christmas...and I never thought I'd be writing that. Next month will feature a few more chapters and rewrites from this and my Pokémon fic, then I'll get back to my schedule for my Jojo Xover.

Thank you to followers and favoriters: barbarian2001, CuddlyMakini, and Ljiper.

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership Tokyo ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re or any related media, all these properties belong to Sui Ishida and Shueisha.

Dialogue format:

'thoughts'

"talking"

"reading"

Nerima Ward, Tokyo

9 months after the reunion

"...What is all this?" Eto gaped at the state of the living room. "It's all so gaudy, and it hurts my eyes."

"All of this is called 'Christmas'. It's one of those Christian holidays," Koma blinked at the girl's confused look before elaborating. "Your old man, he's a Christian...it's a religion from the west, where they follow the teachings of some human who was stabbed in his hands and feet."

"I have no words…" the half-ghoul said blankly. "Well, aside from how blinding all this red and white is!"

"Welcome to the club. We've been helping put up decorations since we started working for your old man," Irimi let out a small yelp as the ladder she was on wobbled. "We really need to get another one of these...oh, we also have to decorate the shop-"

"Renji is handling that. You know how crazy he gets about this sorta thing."

"Is he a 'Christian' too?" the hybrid asked.

"Yeah, him and Noroi-" the brown-haired ghoul tilted his head towards the girl. "Hey, does that make you one too?"

"I don't know! This is weird for me, like a while back when there were all those idiots having parties."

"That was halloween, they're supposed to get drunk and do that," Irimi snorted loudly as she finished hanging up a set a streamers. "I still think we should have gotten a camera out for some of that."

Eto furrowed her brows at the decorations. "Ugh, they're all so tacky...the green is nice though."

"You would say that," Koma groaned.

"Hey, I happen to like this color! I'm stuck with it, might as well embrace it," the green-haired girl puffed her cheeks up at the man's chuckles. "Where is dad anyway? He and Noroi just left earlier and said they'd be back...I'm getting worried."

"What? We're closed, we don't have to worry about that."

"I wasn't talking about customers…" the half-ghoul shivered as a dry feeling spread through her mouth. "I'm just worried about him, that's all."

"Relax, your dad is just getting a tree," Irimi said blithely.

"...Wat?"

"A tree. You know, for the holiday?" the woman made a flourish with her hands. Her expression faltered at the girl's confused look. "Well, a while ago...I have no idea why we need one actually…"

A loud noise from the bottom floor caused the half-ghoul to jolt in surprise. The girl ran towards the stairs to check, face falling comically when she found a mass of spruce pines being pushed through the doorway.

"Do you have it?" her father called from behind the tree.

"I don't want to ruin it! If we just shove it in-"

"Noroi, do you have a grip on it?"

"...N-No, I think I lost my grip," there was a short pause before the ponytailed ghoul spoke again. "Maybe I should have held the other half of the tree? That way we could haul it in easier."

"Perhaps…"

"Do you need help?"

"No Renji, we're fine. Just have to make sure this doesn't...hang on, is there anybody up there who could help us?"

Eto blinked away her shock and narrowed her eyes. "There's a tree! Why is there a tree?!"

"...Did you forget to tell her about this?"

"Maybe I did…"

"And you dig at me for being forgetful."

"She does know what Christianity is at least."

"...umm, you see-"

"So you didn't tell her about that?"

The half-ghoul could practically hear Noroi shrinking in on himself. "Hehe...oops?"

"Uh, hello?! Why is there a tree?!"

"To a cross?!" Eto's mouth dropped as her father nodded. "Why? Why the hell did they nail him to a big wooden stick?!"

"Well, the Jewish leaders were unhappy with his teachings and his proclaimed divinity, so they wanted him gone. The roman leaders most likely viewed him as some sort of political threat and sought to have him removed."

"So they nailed him to a cross?! They couldn't have just kept him in prison?!"

"It was a fairly complicated series of events, Eto," Kuzen let out a sigh as the girl's mouth moved. "He came back a while later and went to heaven after sticking around for a bit, if it makes you feel better."

"So what, we celebrate him dying?"

"No, we celebrate when he was born."

The half-ghoul narrowed her eyes at the man. "Oh, I get it. The whole world celebrates this guy's birthday for who knows how long, but I got nothing for 11 years?"

"Eto…" the aging ghoul's expression fell as the girl wilted at his stern voice. "First of all, you had a birthday present when you were a one-year-old. Second, you also get presents on Christmas."

"...I'm listening."

"Christmas is a time for giving. Normally, couples will exchange presents with each other. On Christmas Eve, presents are left beneath the tree," Kuzen motioned to the spruce nearby. "When Christmas morning comes, children go to the tree and open their presents."

"So, I get to open gifts under a tree," the half-ghoul tilted her head as she noticed several boxes nearby. "A tree decorated with a bunch of flashy stuff...because a guy got nailed to a big piece of wood?"

"Correct!"

"Don't forget about Santa!" Koma called out.

"Eh? Who's Santa?"

"He's...a rather rotund bearded man, who lives at the North Pole. He has elves working for him and a magical sleigh pulled by flying Reindeer. He comes down the chimney, eats some milk and cookies left out, and leaves presents under the tree."

Eto stared at her father with a slack jaw for a full minute. "I'm sorry, what is the connection there?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"A guy who was supposed to be the son of God died for 'our sins', and because of that, some magical fat guy comes down chimneys and leaves kids gifts," the girl held her hands up in confusion. "What is the connection between those two? Why does a magical fat guy give me gifts on the birthday of a religious martyr?"

"Y'know, kids your age aren't usually this cynical," Irimi said sardonically. "You're getting free stuff, and you're trying to question it?"

"I just don't get it!"

"I'm guessing it's a Christian thing," Koma said cheerfully as he passed the two with a box of decorations. "You should see what happens on Easter."

"What's Easter?"

"That's the day Jesus came back from the dead," Kuzen said happily. "The night before, the Easter Bunny leaves out candy for children."

"...Wat?"

"The Easter Bunny, he's a giant rabbit that-"

"Ok, stop! I can only handle so much strange things at once," the half-ghoul rubbed her forehead in bewilderment. "Seriously, when people came up with all of this, what were they on?"

"At least Valentine's Day and White Day are normal," the dark-haired woman said with a chuckle.

"...I have so many questions!"

Eto sat reading her mother's journal with a frown on her face. Once she had actually been given a better explanation of what Christmas was, the half-ghoul had sat in her room ecstatically wondering about how everything worked, and more importantly, what presents she would get. That was until she remembered something.

She would also have to get her father a present.

"It's not actually supposed to be like that," her father had told her. "The parents are the ones who give their children gifts, that's how it's always worked."

The green-haired girl sighed as she mulled his words over. While she wasn't ready to forgive her father, the small hybrid had grown fond of him over the past several months. He had given her a real home, nice clothes, food that didn't taste befouled and rotting, and most importantly, affection like she had never known.

'I have to give him something,' the girl thought anxiously. 'It has to be meaningful, something that lets him know that I...care, I guess…'

Eto's emerald orbs lit up as they trailed over a particular passage. "AHA! Found it!"

"I bought Kuzen a tea set for Christmas. I think it's supposed to be those 'one-of-a-kind' sets that you wouldn't ever see again. He loved it, he even made up a little spot for it in the living room. Just seeing him happy like that, after being alone for so long...I'm really glad…"

"His tea set...that one he keeps in his room…" the half-ghoul cupped a hand to her chin in thought. "He said that it was symbolic, that it represented us...wasn't there more to it?" the girl furrowed her brows before turning several pages.

"Kuzen broke one of his tea cups today. Problem is, I didn't figure it out until he told me later on. He's such a doofus, he actually thought I'd be mad about it. I told him not to worry, that I wasn't mad, and that it was better this way."

The green-haired girl furrowed her brows in confusion as she read. "Better? Mom, he broke a cup, how is it better?"

"Now that there were only 3 cups, they were symbolic. The red one was his, and the blue one was mine, while the grey one...it represented the baby. He looked happy about it, and I'm glad I could reassure him."

"So that's why he always leaves the grey one out for me," the half-ghoul smiled softly at the words on the page. "He leaves the blue one out too...he misses you, mom. I really wish I could have known you," Eto blinked as she continued reading. "I got it! That's what I'm gonna give him."

The half-ghoul ran from her room and charged into the living room. The girl turned her head to make sure her father was scarce, before looking around for help. The half-ghoul spotted Irimi still putting up decorations, and darted over.

"Hey!"

"Waahaha?!"

The green-haired girl flinched as the ladder fell, carrying the woman with it. "Eep! Sorry, I just wanted to ask for some help with getting a present for dad and…"

"No, no, I'm fine. I was just about finished putting the last few up anyway," the dark-haired ghoul sat up with a wince before turning to the girl. "What was it you wanted help with?"

"I need you to help me sneak into dad's room."

"...Eto, I don't think stealing something just to give it back to him is very productive-"

"That's not what I'm gonna do! My mom gave him a Christmas present when she was still alive, and I need to fix it."

"Fix it?"

"I'll explain when I find it, just...please help me," the half-ghoul bit her lip as she worked her magic. Her emerald orbs widened to absurd levels, causing the woman to melt in place. "Please, Onee-san? Won't you help me?"

"Agh! Stop giving me the puppy-dog eyes, please! Alright, I'll help you…"

Irimi winced as she heard the manager nearing his room. A few seconds of him digging through a box of tree decorations let her know it was just another close call. The dark-haired woman let out a short sigh of relief as he left, before turning back to the door.

"Eto, are you done?" the ghoulette whispered harshly. "I'm seriously worried that your old man is gonna find out, and he is not gonna be happy."

"Hold on!" the hybrid's small voice called out from within. "I'm still looking for this...where is it dammit!"

Irimi grimaced as she heard the manager discussing something with Renji and Noroi. The three ghouls grew louder as they approached, causing the woman to pale considerably. Even after they had passed the corridor by, she couldn't stop shaking.

"Eto, I think-"

"Found it!" there was a small bang from within, followed quick shuffling noises, before the green-haired girl came out. The 11-year-old proudly held up a clear bag to the woman. "Mission successful! Now I just gotta find a way to repair this."

"...You broke something? Eto, why did you-"

"No, this was broken before I was even born," the girl turned her head to check her surroundings before motioning for the woman to follow. "I'll explain it all in my room, alright."

A few minutes later, Irimi stood reading the selected passage of an old journal. The dark-haired woman blinked as she went through the page, before turning back to her boss's daughter. In the green-haired girl's hands was a bag filled with shards of a ceramic cup, more than enough pieces present to the point that it could be repaired, albeit with some difficulty.

"So, he broke a cup from a tea set he got for Christmas, and instead of throwing it away, he kept it just in case?" the ghoulette let out a small snort as she handed the journal back to the girl. "That's so...cute, I guess the word is...and I never thought I'd say that about my boss, of all people."

"Well, mom thought it was too. I think that's how relationships work, right? You're supposed to think your partner is cute."

"That's...a part of it, maybe?" the woman said unsurely. "I'm still not sure what your plan with that is."

"I'm gonna get it repaired," the half-ghoul said like it was obvious. "Then I'll give it to dad on Christmas. You know, because I…" Eto quickly stopped herself before swallowing nervously. "I care about him, I guess."

"You care about him?" Irimi narrowed her eyes in suspicion before sighing. "Well, the best option would be to go to a shop that deals with this stuff and see if you can get it fixed and presentable...of course, you'd need that done before Christmas," the dark-haired woman smirked at the girl. "And you aren't allowed outside the house too much, right? Your dad would vet that right away."

"Well, dad doesn't have to know, does he?" the green-haired girl leaned forward with a smug grin. "I mean, it's not like somebody gave me a head injury the first time I met her or something? They don't have to do anything to get my full forgiveness."

"...I hate when you use that against me."

"It'll stop by the new year, promise...mostly because that pity well will have dried out."

"Woah! That was a close one…"

"Close?! You almost crashed!" Eto shrunk in her seat as she made sure the belt was on tight. "I swear, if you and I die in this metal death trap-"

"Relax, I know how to drive," Irimi winced at the girl's flat look. "Ok, well I know how to work a car at least."

"Renji drives better than you"

"He's not even old enough for his license. And hey, at least I'm following regulations," the dark-haired woman flinched as they came to a stop. "W-What just happened? Why aren't I going?"

"You're on that brake thing, and we're not even at the light."

"Ah, right…" the ghoulette began driving forward again. "So, an antique shop? You think that would be a place to go?"

"It's also a China shop, but yeah, they should have a good idea on how to fix it."

"Huh...antique…" Irimi shook her head, chuckling at the girl's confused look. "It just reminded me of the shop. I think I've asked your old why he named it 'Anteiku' a dozen times now, and he still hasn't given me a clear answer."

"Did he ever tell you anything about it?"

"Yeah, I remember Enji and I begging for him to explain it...I think it was actually a few months before we met you," the dark-haired woman snorted as she reminisced. "He finally relented and gave us something. He said he made it for 'someone special', somebody he cares about more than anything in the world. I didn't get why until I met a new face a few months later," Irimi gave the girl a soft smile as she said this.

"...Eh? Y-You mean me?" the half-ghoul sweatdropped as the woman nodded. "I...no, that's not right. He wouldn't-"

"Eto, I've seen the way he looks at you. He cares about you, a lot actually, probably more than you realize," the ghoulette gave the girl a strained smile before turning back to look at the road. "I don't know why you two are always dancing on eggshells around each other, or what your issues are, but...he's still your dad, and he still wants to be there for you. That's a lot more than you have compared to others."

The green-haired girl flinched at Irimi's words. "It's complicated, alright…"

"I can imagine."

The car eventually stopped in front of an antique china shop. The half-ghoul groaned as the woman tried to park, leaning back as the ghoulette tried to get a good handle on things. Once they were parked, the girl jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards the shop, ignoring Irimi's protests.

Once they got into the shop, the results spoke for themselves.

"Well, I'll be damned," the old shopkeeper said in awe as he scrutinized the broken teacup. "Why, this set was one of four, none like it. I sold it to a nice young woman over 11 years ago."

"Yeah, that was my mom. She gave it to my dad as a Christmas present...he broke this one, so I was hoping there could be a way to fix it."

"Well, all the pieces seem to be here, and I could definitely touch up the paint," the shopkeeper adjusted his spectacles as he turned to the small girl. "It'll cost quite a bit though, young lady."

Eto shook her head and smiled. "I can afford it, that's not an issue."

"Well, what is an issue is the fact that I won't be able to put it back together without the right adhesive," the old man gingerly held a piece up to his face. "I think it's sold at some hardware stores. I've been meaning to get some myself anyway, so I'd be willing to compensate you for it."

Irimi's face quickly fell at this. "Does this mean...more driving across the city?" the ghoulette grew dejected at the green-haired girl's furious nodding. "Of course it does…"

"So, it should be in this shop?" Irimi looked around the strange hardware/woodworking store mashup nervously, taking note of many of the products. "There's so much sharp objects in here…"

"It's not like they could hurt us," Eto whispered. "Besides, we're not here to buy saws or anything. Just need some special glue."

"Pfft! Special glue…" the dark-haired woman flinched at the girl's confused expression. "Oh whoops, I forgot you wouldn't have gotten that one, sorry."

"Right...I'm gonna go and check the aisles, see if I can't find it," the half-ghoul walked past the ghoulette. "If you want, you can find something for your boyfriend or whatever."

Irimi stared at the girl as she walked off. "That...that cut really deep…"

Not hearing the woman's statement, the green-haired girl continued searching across the different shelves. The small hybrid passed around different woodworking products and sharp tools as she headed towards the aisle that should have held what she needed. The girl's frustration grew as she looked up and down for the adhesive the shopkeeper had named, growing more and more frustrated by the minute.

"He said some sort of western word, poksy something...damn it, where is it?" the small hybrid's eyes lit up as she spotted what she was looking for. "Aha! Found it...all...the way...up there…" the girl's face fell comically upon noticing how high up the shelf was. "Why must the world be so cruel?"

"Whetstones, whetstones...where the fuck do I find these things?"

Eto froze at the dangerously familiar voice, turning her head slightly to check if she was hearing things.

Several feet away from her was a very tall teenager dressed in a formal black suit and coat. His messy black-hair barely fit in the bob-hat he was wearing, while also perfectly framing his western features. She thought the eyes looked familiar, but instead of a deep solemn pain hidden behind a false mask of naivety, the teen's sky-blue orbs glinted with sadistic mirth.

'Lightning Guy!' the half-ghoul thought in terror, before turning away from the murderous teen. 'What the hell is he doing here? Does that mean there's more of them nearby?'

"Damn, this sucks!" the giant paced around till he was nearly three feet away from the small girl, barely glancing her way as he continued his own search. "Hey, kid! You have any idea where to find those waterstone things?"

Eto jolted at his voice, before turning to face him while pointing at herself nervously. The teen clicked his teeth angrily before turning to her, eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Yes, you! You're the only other person nearby," the tall boy snorted once he got a good look at the girl. "Wow, green hair? Couldn't tell this was a goddamn anime..."

"I...what?"

"Sorry, just a fourth wall thing I do...right, you know where those waterstone things are?"

Eto shaikly pointed to an aisle further back in the shop. "I-I saw some back there, I think t-they were labelled."

"Huh, must have missed them...also, you don't need to freak out or anything," the teen held his hands up defensively. "I get it, 'tall white guy' is scary and shit. I'm just trying to get a Christmas present for a coworker."

"Y-Your...your coworker needs a waterstone?"

"He owns a sword," the giant flinched at the girl's blank expression. "It makes sense in context...and no, I'm not gonna give that context to you," the tall boy frowned as the girl directed her gaze away from him. "Oi, you alright?"

"No, I'm fine...it's just, I'm trying to get a present for my dad, and I figured I'd fix an old mug he liked and...inordertodothatIneedsomespecialgluewhichwaytoohighformetoreach," the girl shook nervously as the teen tried to follow her absurdly fast speech.

"All I got from that was 'special glue'...hehe, special glue…"

"Why is that funny anyway?" the girl asked absently.

"I think even the short answer is a bit too much for someone your age," the teen said in faux cheerfulness. The giant tilted his head towards the very top of the shelf, spotting a lone bottle of pricey adhesive. "Is that what you're trying to get?"

"Y-Yeah, but I'm...uh...too tired to reach it, yeah. I'll have to get an employee to help or-Eh?!" the small hybrid blinked as the bottle fell into her hands. "What? But how-"

"I'm maybe around 7'3, it was like reaching for a night lamp," the tall boy said blithely as he began to walk away. "Thanks for helping me out with the whetstones, kid…"

Once the giant was out of sight, Eto released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. The half-ghoul shook her head clear before she made for the front desk, quickly completing the purchase. The girl soon found Irimi where she had left her, the dark-haired woman looking as though she were pondering the secrets of the universe.

"Uh...you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine...not really...thinking about cakes…"

The green-haired girl raised an eyebrow at this. "Cakes? You're thinking about cakes?"

"I'm almost to my mid 20s, and I don't have a boyfriend. If the trend continues...well…" the ghoulette turned to the girl with a comically solemn expression. "Eto, don't make the same mistakes I did. Get married when your 17, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

A dark blush spread across Eto's face as she let out a nervous cough. "Uh, okay then, thanks for the...sagely advice...I got what I needed," the girl held up the bag with the special glue she had just bought. "Let's get going, please."

As the two left, Eric looked towards them with narrowed eyes. The teen regarded them with suspicion as the green-haired girl darted for her friend's car, doing everything she could to make herself scarce.

"There's something off about that kid, I know it. I just can't put my finger on it…"

Eto gazed at the wrapped box nervously, twiddling her fingers as she looked it over. The girl halfheartedly adjusted the bow, a short sigh escaping her lips as she gingerly pulled her hands away from it.

"Do you think he'll like it?"

"It's a gift from you, your old man will love it," Irimi reassured her. "You know, I think this is the first time I've been in here. You're always hiding in your room when your old man isn't forcing you to be in the shop."

"I like being in here. Dad checks up on me all the time, Noroi spends time with me, and I get to do my own thing," the half-ghoul shook her head. "But, yeah...I'd rather spend more time in the shop, if I were being honest. Sometimes I just need a quiet spot though."

"For what?" the dark-haired woman turned her head to look around the room. She spotted a stack of papers on the girl's desk and walked over to them. "For this? What are you up to in here?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm writing a book."

"...Eh? A book?"

"Yeah, a book. It's just a nice way to get certain things off my chest," the small girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I've written maybe like up to almost a hundred pages, and I wanna do more, but...I wasn't that good at writing when I started, so I'm really going to have to rewrite a lot of the early chapters."

Irimi picked up a few pages and quickly read through them, eyes widening in awe. "This...this isn't actually that bad. You could make money off this, you know."

"What? I mean, that'd be nice but…"

"Well, you said it wasn't finished, right? You don't have to deal with that right away, just something for you to think about," the dark-haired woman turned back to the girl, sighing when she saw her eyeing the wrapped present nervously. "Relax, Christmas is maybe a week away. I don't get why you're worried so much about this."

"I know, I just wanna repay him for everything, I guess."

"Repay him for what? He's your dad, it's kind of his job," the ghoulette cupped a hand to her chin in thought. "There's an old saying about it, actually. Being a parent is a 'thankless job', and all."

Eto furrowed her brows in thought. "I guess that's something I'd wanna change, huh?"

1 week later

"Eto, it's time to get up," Kuzen said gently.

"Go away...I need sleep…"

"Eto, I told you not to stay up all night writing before, haven't I?" the aging ghoul shook his head before gently tapping the girl on the forehead. "Come on, it's time to wake up."

"Go away…"

"I suppose you must not want your presents then?"

The half-ghoul opened her eyes slightly in annoyance. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It is Christmas, after all."

The half-ghoul jolted upright, now fully alert at his words. "I almost forgot! I...what happens now?" the girl squealed as her father pulled her off the bed and positioned her into a piggy-back ride. The half-ghoul blushed as her father brought her out to the living room, gently setting her down in front of an assortment of wrapped boxes. "These are all...for me?"

"Absolutely! Of course, you'll be getting more next month," Kuzen sent the girl a kind smirk. "I remember something about making up for at least 10 birthdays."

The green-haired girl furrowed her brows in confusion. "I thought it was 11?"

The aging ghoul smiled before presenting the girl a large present. "Go ahead and open it. You'll like this one, I promise."

Eto looked at her father in bewilderment before taking the wrapped box into her hands. The girl slowly tore the wrapping paper apart, and gently pulled the fringes of the box open before pulling out the contents. Her eyes went wide and starry at what she saw.

It was a stuffed brown owl plushie with button eyes, one green and the other red. The pleasant scent of flowery perfume wafted from the toy bird, reminding the girl of something she couldn't quite grasp. The half-ghoul stared at the plushie in awe for several seconds before turning her head towards her father.

"W-What is this?"

"It's Fukurō-chan! Don't you remember?" the aging ghoul gently took the toy from the girl's hand and held it up, making little 'hoot' noises as he twirled it around as though it were dancing. "When Ukina was young, she had this as her baby toy. One day, she found it again, and she decided to replace his lost button. A few weeks later, on your first birthday, she decided to give him to you," Kuzen chuckled as he handed the owl back to the awestruck girl. "You took to him the moment he was in your little hands. You always loved the little hooting noises Ukina and I made when you two were playing, you even tried making them yourself."

The half-ghoul stared at the owl plush with wide eyes before clutching it like a newborn child. In the girl's mind, images flashed of a serene blonde woman smiling down at her and cooing gently with a sweet voice. Eto fought back tears as the memory passed, and she turned to her father with a curious expression.

Before the girl even opened her mouth, Kuzen held a hand up. "On the week of my…'last job', he had just been washed. By the time I realized it, you were already long gone," the green-haired man smiled solemnly. "It's another thing I regret to this day..."

Eto swallowed a lump in her throat before slowly standing. "I-I have something to give you too."

"Eto, you didn't have to-"

"I wanted to though. I thought it over a lot, and I think you'll like it," the half-ghoul darted into her room before her father could protest. The girl pulled her gift from the place she had hidden it and slowly walked back into the living room, presenting it to her father. "Here! Go ahead and open it."

Kuzen slowly opened the gift, his confusion growing as he found a blank box. When he pulled it open and gently dug through the packing foam, his confusion turned to shock. The aging ghoul gaped in awe as he pulled the mug out, turning it around to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The cracks were now no more than finite lines running across the cup, inside and out, and the formerly faded gold coloring now looked as vibrant as the day he had first seen it.

"...H-How did you do this?"

"Well, I read about it in mom's journal," the hybrid twirled a lock of her green hair with one finger. "I realized that that's what I should give you. I…'enlisted' Irimi's help in obtaining it, and then I dumped half my allowance on buying the stuff to get it fixed."

His eyes opened as tears formed at the corners. "Eto, I don't know what to say. This is the most wonderful gift I've been given," the aging ghoul gently placed the repaired teacup down and pulled the girl into a hug. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"Well, it's Christmas after all…"

"You're right, it is," Kuzen gently patted the girl on the head. "I love you, Eto. Merry Christmas."

The half-ghoul flinched slightly before further burying her face in her father's chest.

"...I love you too, dad."

There we go, things are looking up for those two. I promise that some of the next few chapters will have a bit more 'action' and the like, if tame fluff is starting to dwindle interest.

Also, Merry Christmas!

Please leave any thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism in your reviews.